Description
In this 34-minute documentary, four Muslim American women find that in post-9-11 America, their choice to wear or not wear the hijab (the Muslim headscarf or covering), has become a focal point for debate and education. Muslim women in the U.S. are subject to many stereotypes, including beliefs that they are oppressed, forced to cover their heads, and undereducated. The women in Just a Piece of Cloth challenge us to see the complex identities within any category of people and to witness the particular struggles faced by ordinary Muslim women in America. Their “counterstories” reveal not only each woman’s unique perspective, but also the shared human questions that lie just beneath a “piece of cloth” -- What boundaries define me? How do I travel across those boundaries to be true to myself, my community, and my faith? How do I transform the stories that limit my potential?
Keywords
- Muslim,
- women,
- counterstories,
- hijab
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
Comments
The complete video is available for educational institutional use from Arab Film Distribution: www.arabfilm.com
For home use or individual teacher use, go to www.justapieceofcloth.com
Citation Information
Rosemary C. Henze. "Just a Piece of Cloth" (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/rosemary_henze/37/